Electrolytic tank.



PATBNTED JUNE 11, 1907. J. P. MILLER. ELECTROLYTIG TANK.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.6, 1906.

Q @TQ Ef UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN F. MILLER, OF TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

` ELECTROLYTIC TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907'.

Application led February 6,1906. Serial No. 299,690.

` `To all whom, t may concer-r1.:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trail, British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Tanks, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

My invention relates to tanks or vessels for electrolytic work, such as the electrolytic refining of metals, etc., and has for its object to provide a tank or vessel of Wood or similar inexpensive material which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, and withal compact, thoroughly liquid-ti ht, and perfectly protected from injury by t e chemical action of the electrolyte. The vessel may be in the form of a single cell, or it may have a plurality of cells or com artments, each of which may serve. as an in ependent cell.

The nature of the invention will be more readily understoodl from a detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the annexed drawings.

Therein, Figure l is a perspective view of a tank havin two compartments or cells, and Fig.. 2 is a etail. sectional view showing the preferred orm of joint between the pieces or parts composing the tank.

The vessel is in the form of a rectangular. box, `and asalready stated it is constructed preferablyof wood.

The sidewalls A, B, are built up of sec- `tions, a, of any suitable number, as for example four, placed edge to edge. The sections are bored vertically to receive a plurality of tie bolts or rods, one of which is shown in dotted lines at b, which serve to bind thc sections irmly together. The top section of each side wall is rabbeted, as indicated at c, so as to locate the bolt heads below the edge of the Wall, and for further protection the heads and nuts are sunk in recesses, as d. At each end is a vertical stay or brace'e, secured by bolts or screws secured together by tie rods, the heads and nuts of which are sunk in recesses d. Each end of the artition has two stays e, one on eaclli side, astened by bolts f, like the side wa s.

The bottom of the tank is composed of six sections g, in the present embodiment, three being located between the partition and wall A, and three between the partition and wall The central longitudin al partition C is a so composed of sections a,

cut out, as indicated at 72, in dotted lines, to receive the stay on the adjatent endv of the side wall or partition.

The end sections t are placed odge to odge vertically between the partition and the side walls, bearing against the inner faf es of the stays e, with the lower sections resting on the bottom of the tank.

Around the ends of the tank are U-shaped braces or stay iron D, provided at intervals throughout their vertical portions with holesv which register with holes extending horizontally through the ends of the bottoni sections g and lower sections of the side walls, and through the ends of the'side wall sections and the end sections. In these holes are transverse tie 4rods 7c which serve to bind the connected parts firmly together. Additional tie rods, as l, may be provided for the bottom of the tank, if desired.

The horizontal portions of the brace irons also have holes at intervals, registering with vertical holes in the end sections i, to accommodate vertical tie rods m, the heads of Which are sunk in recesses n in the upper edge of the top sections.

When the tank is assembled as just described the tie rods 7c, l, m, are tightened up, thus binding the sides, ends, bottom, and partition firmly and securely together, and the rece tacle is then ready to be coated inside, an outside also if desired, with a material which will resist the action of the electrolyte and such chemical compounds which may be produced therefrom. F or this purpose I prefer to y use melted asphaltum, flowed on or applied like a paint. The melting point of the coating material should ofcourse be safely higher than the temperature at which the electrolyte is to be used. The recesses in Which the tie rod heads and nuts are sunk may be filled with the asphaltum or other coating, if all danger 'of injury to these metal parts is to be avoided.

To insure absolutely liquid tight joints between sections, the contiguous edges thereof may be formed as in Fig. 2, or in some similar manner. In the preferred form the contiguous edges have an undercut rabbet', so that when the edges are placed together an undercut groove will result, as at o. This groove is iilled with the coating material, thus covering the joint with a considerable body of the material, which is securely retained by the overhanging edges of the B. At each corner the adjacent section 1s groove. The joints at the angles of the relOO IIO

ceptaele, as'for example Where the end sections abut against the side walls, may be protected in the same Way if desired.

Extensive practical use of tanks constructed in the way described has amply de1nonstrated their marked superiority over any others with which I am familiar for the same purpose. There is practically no limit to the size in which the tank can be made, and it may have one, two, or more partitions, or none, as desired.

What I claim is:

A tank for electrolytio Work comprising side Walls built up of a plurality of longitu dinal sections placed edge to edge and formed with registering vertical openings; tie rods passing through said openings; a bottom composed of longitudinal sections between the side Walls and formed with alining transverse openings; tie rods extending throuvh said openings and projectinr through t e side Walls; end wallslocated? between said sides and abutting the same, and com osed of transverse sections having vertical a ining openings and horizontal openings; a U- shaped stay-iron at each end of the tank horizontal tie rods extending` through the horizontal openings inthe end sections, the ends of the side walls and the vertical portions of the. stay-irons, and vertical tie rods extending through the vertical openings in the end sections, the bottom, and the horizontal portions of the stay-irons.

i JOHN F. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. M. STRATHAM, .LEWIS MAssoN. 

